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Kardemir Merkez steel plant

Steel Plant in Türkiye. Approximate location 41.18531, 32.63084.

Steel PlantTürkiyeCO₂ estimate (modelled)

Kardemir Merkez steel plant is a steel plant in Türkiye. Its listed capacity is 3,501,000 t of steel. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels. It is operated by Kardemir Karabuk Demir Çelik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AŞ. By capacity it ranks #7 among 18 steel plants in Türkiye. It emits about 4,367,749 t CO₂e a year from Climate TRACE, roughly comparable to the annual emissions of 1.0 million passenger cars. Its CO₂ per unit of capacity is 34% above the national median for this sector.

3,501,000t of steel
4,367,749t CO₂e / yr (Climate TRACE)
#3CO₂ rank in Türkiye
1.25t CO₂ per capacity unit

Facility data: Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0), id ct-1567073.

Data status

Known source data

FacilityKardemir Merkez steel plant Climate TRACE
CountryTürkiye Climate TRACE
Coordinates41.18531, 32.63084 Climate TRACE
Sector / subsectoriron-and-steel Climate TRACE
Reported capacity3,501,000 t of steel Climate TRACE
Owner / operatorKardemir Karabuk Demir Çelik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AŞ Climate TRACE
GEM steel parentKardemir Karabuk Demir Çelik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AŞ [100%] Global Energy Monitor
Steel process routeintegrated BF Global Energy Monitor
Steel asset statusoperating Global Energy Monitor
Steel equipmentBF, BOF Global Energy Monitor
Steel capacity3,500 ktpa Global Energy Monitor
Modelled CO₂e4,367,749 t/yr Climate TRACE

Calculated from the dataset

Türkiye rank#3 of 94 · top 3.2% calculated
Global iron-and-steel rank#177 of 868 · top 20.4% calculated
Climate contextderived from coordinates calculated

Not available

Fuel typeNot available not in dataset
Thermal capacity (MW)Not available not in dataset

Source data, measured cross-checks and calculated values are kept separate. No confidence percentage is invented.

Similar facilities by modelled emissions

Same Climate TRACE subsector; closest non-placeholder modelled CO₂e values. Russia and Belarus excluded.

Operating power plants within 50 km

PowerAtlas operating assets, ordered by great-circle distance from published coordinates.

In context: how this facility compares

At 3,501,000 t of steel, Kardemir Merkez steel plant is well above the median steel plant in Türkiye (2,329,235 t of steel). Subsector: iron-and-steel. As steel plant, it requires high process heat (typically 800–1500°C) for its core industrial operations — heat that must be supplied by boilers, furnaces or direct combustion, and losses through uninsulated vessels and piping represent wasted fuel. Removable modular insulation can cut those losses by 80–96%, surface-cooling equipment to ≤45°C, with payback often under 2 years. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels.

Capacity & CO₂-intensity comparison computed from Climate TRACE industrial facilities data; sector role based on engineering reference.

What 4,367,749 t CO₂e a year looks like

This facility's estimated annual CO₂e (Climate TRACE, modelled) in everyday equivalents from the US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies calculator:

1.0 millioncars driven for a year
570khomes' annual energy use
73 milliontree seedlings grown 10 years

Equivalencies: US EPA Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies. Emissions: Climate TRACE.

Carbon cost, Scope 1 & decarbonization potential

At its reported 4.4M t CO₂e/yr (Scope 1), Kardemir Merkez steel plant carries no domestic carbon price — and as a CBAM-covered product, its 4.4M t at the EU CBAM rate (€75/t) is €329M/yr of exposure on EU-bound exports. CBAM share rises from 2.5% (2026) to 100% by 2034. The fastest decarbonization lever is energy efficiency: eliminating heat loss on hot equipment (removable insulation, steam & waste-heat recovery) typically cuts 2–5% of fuel-related CO₂ — here ≈87k t–218k t/yr, worth €6.6M€16.5M, with payback up to 2 years. No domestic carbon price — but cement, steel, aluminium, fertilizer and hydrogen exported to the EU face CBAM at €75/t (rising to 100% by 2034).

4.4M t CO₂e / yrScope 1 emissions
€329M/yrCBAM exposure on EU exports
87k t–218k t/yr ≈ €6.6M€16.5MDecarbonization potential

Carbon price: EU CBAM €75/t · EU ETS €79/t, July 2, 2026, refreshed live via Carbon Hub. CO₂: Climate TRACE. Efficiency range: US DOE / ASTM C680 (method). Indicative carbon value, not the cash bill — free allocation applies; not compliance advice. Estimate the saving for this site →

Capacity vs largest steel plants in Türkiye

Isdemir Payas steel plant: 5,800,000 t of steel5.8MIsdemir Pa…İÇDAŞ Biga steel plant: 5,001,000 t of steel5.0MİÇDAŞ Biga…Colakoglu Metallurgical Dilovasi plant: 4,500,000 t of steel4.5MColakoglu …Habas Aliaga steel plant: 4,500,000 t of steel4.5MHabas Alia…Toscelik Iskenderun steel plant: 4,000,000 t of steel4.0MToscelik I…Erdemir Eregli steel plant: 3,801,000 t of steel3.8MErdemir Er…Kardemir Merkez steel plant: 3,501,000 t of steel3.5MKardemir M…MMK Türkiye Metallurgical Payas plant: 2,500,000 t of steel2.5MMMK Türkiy…

Listed capacity (t of steel), Climate TRACE v6 (asset-level capacity & CO₂e, CC BY 4.0).

Operator

Operated by Kardemir Karabuk Demir Çelik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AŞ. All facilities by this operator →

Local climate

Kardemir Merkez steel plant sits in a temperate oceanic climate zone (Köppen Cfb), at 41.2°N in the northern hemisphere.

~11°Ctypical annual mean
~18°Ctypical warm-season
Temperate oceanic: four distinct seasons — cold winters and warm summers

Köppen zone: Köppen-Geiger world climate classification (Kottek et al. 2006, 0.5° grid).

Site climate & environmental severity

The local climate sets how fast unprotected steel, protective coatings and the insulation on hot process equipment degrade at this site. It sits in a moderately corrosive environment (estimated ISO 9223 class C3 — Medium), with humidity / wetness the leading environmental stress.

C3ISO 9223 corrosivity (indicative)
33/100environmental-severity index
19.7°Cseasonal temperature swing
63 kmdistance to coast
ModerateCUI risk tier

In this site’s local climate, a bare 150 °C surface sheds about 1395 W/m² to ambient — roughly 1.07× the loss at a 20 °C reference; removable insulation recovers about 1325 W/m² of that. Reference-surface calculation at a 150 °C surface from WorldClim climate normals (ASTM C680 / ISO 12241) — an indicative per-climate comparison, not a measurement of this site’s specific equipment. Open method dataset: DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20787408 (CC BY 4.0).

Higher environmental severity is exactly where protective removable insulation pays back most: a sheltered micro-climate slows corrosion, UV and thermal-cycling damage and extends outdoor hardware service life. This is an indicative site-climate context — not a condition assessment of any specific plant or operator.

Indicative estimate via the ISO 9223:2012 informative method (atmospheric corrosivity from temperature, time-of-wetness and airborne salinity), using WorldClim climate normals, the Köppen-Geiger class and coast distance. Indicative, not a measured corrosion rate.

How it compares & nearby sites

The #7 largest of 18 steel plants in Türkiye by listed capacity (Climate TRACE).

Nearby industrial sites

Location

Coordinates 41.18531, 32.63084. View on OpenStreetMap.

Heat loss & insulation profile

For a steel plant, the main modular-insulation targets are reheat & annealing furnaces, ladles, hot-blast stoves, steam & gas ducting. Typical hot-surface ranges used for screening: 200–1,200 °C.

Indicative recoverable energy

A first-pass insulation screen suggests about 6,400 MWh/year of recoverable heat-loss reduction and about 2,200 t CO₂e/year of avoided emissions. Screening estimate scaled from installed process-heat projects and surface-temperature reduction data.

See Inzonex Modular Insulation → Run the calculator →

Screening calculation from facility class, capacity and open emissions/energy context. Engineering survey required before procurement.

Safety & the no-regret first step

Start with a thermal survey of valves, flanges, doors and bends. Removable modular insulation keeps maintenance access open while lowering exposed-surface temperature and wasted heat.

External climate finance your country can access

For energy-efficiency projects around process heat, likely external funding channels include:

CBAM. Exporters of cement, steel, aluminium, fertiliser, hydrogen and electricity to the EU face the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism — cutting embedded emissions (efficiency + insulation) lowers the levy.

Sources: country climate-finance facilities and public development-bank programmes.

Frequently asked questions

What type of facility is Kardemir Merkez steel plant?

Kardemir Merkez steel plant is a steel plant in Türkiye. Steel plants burn coal in blast furnaces or use electric arcs to melt scrap; in both cases the molten metal must be kept above 1,500°C and transferred through extensive hot piping and vessels.

What capacity is listed for Kardemir Merkez steel plant?

The open dataset lists 3,501,000 t of steel of capacity for Kardemir Merkez steel plant.

How much CO₂ does Kardemir Merkez steel plant emit?

The page uses about 4,367,749 t CO₂e/year from the open dataset It ranks #3 among facilities in Türkiye by estimated CO₂.

Where is Kardemir Merkez steel plant located?

Kardemir Merkez steel plant is in Türkiye at approximately 41.18531, 32.63084.

Who operates Kardemir Merkez steel plant?

The operator recorded in the open dataset is Kardemir Karabuk Demir Çelik Sanayi Ve Ticaret AŞ.

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